Crimp-Style Electrical Connectors - Sealing

1/10We've all used crimp-style electrical connectors, and we've all wondered if one day they would come apart, leaving us stranded. This month we've found a cool product that eliminates the common problems with electrical connectors.

If there's one thing most of us dread when driving our old cars around, it's an electrical problem. More than simply an inconvenience, electrical problems can cause safety issues like lights failing to work, the charging system not performing properly, and can even cause ignition problems that will leave the engine inoperable. In the worst cases, electrical issues can even start fires, and we don't need to tell you how badly that can damage your classic Mopar. While electrical troubles can have many sources, we've found a way to fix one of the most common electrical problems, the crimped "butt-splice" connector.

Crimp-style electrical connectors, commonly called "butt-connectors," have always been prone to failure. While easy to install, there are two basic problems with the butt-connector. First, since these connections are simply crimped in place using electrical pliers, there's always the chance that the connector isn't crimped tightly enough and will come loose. Or, even if the connector is crimped properly, the wires may still work themselves loose due to the normal vibrations associated with driving the car. Either way, the electrical connection is lost, causing the circuit to become dead, and rendering whatever electric component fed by that circuit inoperable. Even worse, the exposed wire may ground, leading to electric arcing or even a fire.

The second problem with butt-connectors is that they are not weatherproof. So if the wiring is in an area exposed to the elements, like under the hood, the connection has no real protection from corrosion. Worse yet, the design of the butt-connector can actually trap water, accelerating the corrosion process. Once enough corrosion is in the connector, the conductivity is lost, and again, we have electrical component failure.

Fortunately, SpliSeal has developed a tool kit to address both issues with electrical butt-connectors. Their kit contains a hot sealant gun, sealant, and an aluminum mold, which are used together to seal the butt-splice with sealant that will both strengthen and weatherproof the connection. Follow along and we'll show you how it works.